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GUWAHATI, JULY 12: In a significant move towards wildlife conservation and scientific research, the government of Assam has dispatched preserved rhino horn samples to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Dehradun for genetic analysis. The initiative is to enhance the understanding of the genetic heritage of Assam’s legendary one-horned rhinoceros and reinforce measures against wildlife crime.
The program comes in the wake of Assam’s highly publicized ceremony in September 2021, during which the state government incinerated 2,479 rhino horns in a symbolic protest against poaching and illegal trade in wildlife. They were from a cache of 2,623 horns under the control of the Forest Department. A limited number of horns were not destroyed because they were the subject of court cases or deemed to be of high scientific or historical value.
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Prior to the bulk burning, small samples from each horn were collected and placed in safe vaults statewide to allow for future scientific study. These reserved samples have now provided the basis for a groundbreaking genetic study.
From July 3 to July 8, the initial stage of a painstaking examination process was carried out in Kaziranga National Park, the global famous home of the one-horned rhino. In this stage, 2,573 horns kept in store were sampled and transported to the WII in Dehradun. The process was undertaken under stringent security measures and monitored by a special team that included senior forest officers, scientists, park rangers, and independent observers.
Kaziranga Field Director Sonali Ghosh said some of the horns are as old as the 1970s and 1980s. By analyzing the DNA, researchers are looking to track the source of each horn and determine if there is a link to any of the documented cases of poaching. The genetic information also could be used by researchers to create a more accurate picture of Assam’s rhino population over the years, providing information on lineage, health, and diversity.
